Diabetes: Healthy Snacks

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Diabetes: Healthy Snacks
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Is it OK to include snacks in my diabetic meal plan?

Healthy diabetic meal plans are no longer "one size fits all." Meal plans that include healthy foods but also are flexible and reflect your food preferences are the easiest to stick to. The decision to include snacks in your daily plan may be based on:

* your food preferences
* balancing the food you eat with the medicines you take
* a need to spread the carbohydrates that you eat more evenly throughout the day to help decrease spikes in your blood sugar after meals
* other health conditions you may have in addition to diabetes.

The need to eat between meals or before bed depends upon blood sugar control and your daily recommended calories. Active children and adolescents with high energy needs (on a high-calorie diet) usually need to add snacks to make sure they get enough nutrition each day and to prevent low blood sugar. Adults following a diet with fewer calories and carbohydrates may not need to snack if their blood sugar stays in the recommended range between meals.
Which foods are good snacks in a diabetic diet?

The snacks listed below are all low in saturated fat, and many are made with whole grains and high in fiber. Snacks that are a good source of protein are marked with a star. Snacks that contain 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate fit into most diabetic meal plans.

Snacks containing one carbohydrate choice (about 15 grams of carbohydrate):

* 1 medium apple or any round fresh fruit
* 18 small pretzel twists
* 10 multigrain honey graham mini rice cakes
* 18 white cheddar soy crisps*
* 2 whole-grain white cheddar or butter popcorn rice cakes (natural flavor, light salt)
* 1/2 small whole-wheat bagel (2 ounces) with fat-free cream cheese
* 3 cups of air-popped or low-fat microwave popcorn
* baby carrots or broccoli and cauliflower tops with low-fat or nonfat dressings for dipping (2 cups raw vegetables and 1/2 cup nonfat creamy dressing)
* celery with nonfat cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of raisins or dried cranberries
* 8-oz cup of 1% or skim milk*
* low-fat or nonfat flavored milk prepared with sugar-free flavoring mix (both Nesquik and Carnation Instant Breakfast brands have sugar-free products available)*
* 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 3/4 cup pineapple chunks*
* 6 to 8-oz carton of light yogurt (sweetened with NutraSweet or Splenda)*
* about 6 homemade breaded and baked chicken breast nuggets*
* 4 to 5 vanilla wafers
* 5 to 6 saltine crackers (also available with low sodium)
* 1 and 1/2 graham crackers
* 1/2 cup of low-fat ice cream
* 2 tablespoons of raisins
* 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
* 1 fruit roll-up
* 1 fruit juice bar

Snacks containing two carbohydrate choices (about 30 grams of carbohydrate):

* 1 large banana or 2 medium servings of fresh fruit
* 1 cup of multigrain Cheerios with 1/2 cup skim milk
* 1 small whole-wheat bagel (4 ounces) with fat-free cream cheese
* 1 mozzarella cheese stick (part-skim) with 1 cup of fruit chunks and 6 to 8 low-fat, whole-wheat crackers*
* 1/2 turkey and low-fat Swiss cheese sandwich with mustard and a medium fruit or 1 cup of milk*
* 1 low-fat granola bar
* 4-oz individual fruit cup and 1 cup of skim milk*
* 1 cup of sugar-free pudding
* 1/4 cup dried fruit
* 2 caramel corn rice cakes
* 1 cereal bar
* 1 oz of baked tortilla chips with 1/4 cup salsa
* 15 baked potato chips (1 oz bag equals 1 and 1/2 carbohydrate choices)
* 14 animal crackers and 1/2 cup skim milk
* 2 fig cookies and 1/2 cup skim milk
* 8 oz low-fat or nonfat chocolate milk (regular sugar sweetened)*

Protein Snacks - between meal pick-me-ups that will not increase blood sugars levels

* 1/4 cup natural nuts (peanuts, walnuts, or almonds) equals 1 protein and 2 healthy fat servings (about 200 calories).
* Celery with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter equals 1 protein and 3 healthy fat servings (about 180 calories). Look for natural peanut butter with no trans fats.
* 2 fat-free mozzarella cheese sticks equal 2 protein servings (about 90 calories).

Cool Snacks for hot days

* Yogurt creamsicles

Combine:
1/2 cup plain skim-milk yogurt (1/2 carb)
1/2 cup fruit juice concentrate, undiluted (3 carbs)

Freeze in popsicle molds until solid.

The total mixture equals about 3 and 1/2 carb choices and makes about 4 creamsicles or 1 carb choice per creamsicle.
* Fruit popsicles

Blend:
1 and 1/2 cup fresh fruit: berries, peaches, or bananas (2 carbs)
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate, undiluted (3 carbs)

Freeze in popsicle molds until solid.

The total mixture equals 5 carb choices and yields about 5 popsicles, or 1 carb choice per popsicle.

Special suggestions

* It is best to eat fresh fruit rather than drink juice as a routine snack (unless your blood sugar is low).
* Sugar-free flavorings (such as sugar-free cocoa or other milk flavorings) can be added to milk, if preferred.
* If you are still hungry after the snack, try sugar-free Popsicles or Jell-O. Make up a vegetable tray using cold crunchy vegetables and dip in a fat-free dressing.
* For those on high-calorie meal plans, the carbohydrate content of snacks may be as high as 60 grams per snack.

Written by Terri Murphy, RD, LD, CDE
Published by McKesson Corporation.
Last modified: 2006-11-27
Last reviewed: 2006-08-14
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
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